Satisloh Wins German Federal Ecodesign Award for Lens Production Improvement

Plastic components instead of toxic heavy metal compounds in the ophthalmic lens manufacturing – this convinced the jury of the German Federal Environment Ministry, the Federal Environmental Agency and design experts in Berlin.
The Swiss-based Satisloh with its subsidiary for developing and producing machines in Wetzlar, Germany, wins the German Federal Ecodesign Award. With the submitted subject “Heavy metal-free lens manufacturing”, made possible by Satisloh’s ART / Nucleo technology, the federal award jury has honored an innovative production process for the first time.
The now-honored manufacturing method from Satisloh corresponds in the choice of raw materials and materials, manufacturing techniques, production, use, continuing / re-use, recycling and disposal of the components with the criteria matrix, which is the basis for applicants of the Federal Ecodesign Award. In ophthalmic optics, the design of machines and the production process are of great importance. On one hand they need to fit into the scheme of the lens manufacturers, on the other hand, consume as little space, resources and energy as possible. Glasses are produced using a process in which the lens blank is connected with a “block-piece” for machining. This block-piece, until now, consisted of cast aluminum. Block-piece and lens blank were bonded by a heavy metal composition, the so-called “Alloy”.
In the innovative production process ART/Nucleo, for which Satisloh received the Award, the “Alloy” is replaced with a largely environmentally friendly organic adhesive. Also, the lens holder is now made of plastic. (Source: Optik & Photonik 1 / 2015)